Early in the morning of February 28, 2020 Thousands of refugees and immigrants from Turkey arrived at the Kastania border station, having been motivated by false news that wanted the way to Greece and Europe to open. What followed for the next 40 days with petrol war, fires on either side of chemicals and even shots were called a hybrid war between Greece and Turkey.

Today, five years later, Prime Time’s camera and Yiannis Souliotis travel to Evros and return time back to the troubled spring of 2020. Through amateur videos from police mobile phones, army and police security cameras and visual material from the internet.

When and how did the threat on the Greek side perceive? What were the first reactions of the Armed Forces and Security Forces executives? How did the Akritis experience the events? How was Evros in the end was not violated? What role did the fence play? Have there been times when there was a generalization or even complete militarization of the episodes? What were the red lines of the Greek leadership and how did Athens read the threat?

Prime Time’s camera replies: Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis, then Chief of General Staff General Constantine Floros, ELAS deputy chief. Paschalis Syritoudis, the former Commander of the Army Corps Angelos Hilaridis, Orestiada Police Chief Thanasis Mandarlis, Orestiada Border Guard Commander George Tournakis, Professor of International Law

According to Angelos Syrigos, Turkey at that time was hosting a number of about three million Syrians plus a number of unknown immigrants and fosters from other countries.

Some were two times refugees like the Palestinians, some were from Somalia, some from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh. It was a number of around five million.

Since Ankara has slightly opened the cannula to remind the problem and to get funds from the European Union. There he tried to do something else:

Send a large number that tells them, “It’s not just that they will come, they will destabilize your political system. Your governments will fall. This was Erdogan’s goal. “

According to the Minister of Citizen Protection, many are explained by the belief of the Turkish side “or rather the illusion they had and the whole climate that was cultivated when they began to push them to the border at the urging Turkish government, was that they would somehow pass over,” they would go away. “

A few hours after the Turkish president’s statement that it is opening the border with Greece, the Greek border guard cameras record the first images of refugees and immigrants reaching the Greek -Turkish border in Evros.

In Constantinople and other major Turkey cities, fake news for the supposed border opening have been spread in record time.

The Greek government is on alert. The prime minister convenes an extraordinary meeting at the Maximus Palace in the presence of the leadership of the Security Forces and the ED. Righteous measures are decided to tackle the hybrid threat. Among them the suspension of asylum requests.

In the border crossing in Kastanias, where thousands of immigrant soldiers are gathered, create a rough barrier from barbed wire, the installation smells of gunpowder

Further south, in the Feres and the Evros Delta, where there is no fence but the river, large groups of immigrants also make their appearance guided by the Turkish authorities.

On the morning of March 1st, 36 hours after the start of the crisis, episodes erupt at the Castania border station.

In the next 24 hours the intensity on the two sides of the fence escalate dangerously. The setting at EF1 at the Castania border station is reminiscent of war.

Immigrants are trying to pierce the fence that stands in the way of traveling to the West. Using tools they try to cut the wires. They stack next to the wire and fire plastic watering pipes in the hope that the fire will destroy the artificial obstacle. Greek police officers trying to block them are attacked with stones

To keep immigrants away from the fence the matte responds with tear gas. There are so many chemicals used by Greek police officers that soon the ELAS warehouses. They are emptied of stocks.

The situation in the village of Kastanias, which is a few hundred meters from the border crossing is choking. Its few, elderly inhabitants, are on alarm.

But the situation is also a nightmare in the rough camp that has been created on the Turkish side of the border, with female children in miserable living conditions – exposed to cold and chemicals.

Red Crescent Rescuers provide first aid to immigrants injured in episodes

One of the many points of criticism was the government’s decision to stop accepting asylum demands & lead to prison those immigrants entering the country.

On March 3, Evros visits the EU leadership, expressing its support in Greece. In a move with high symbolism, EU Member States They send border guards to Evros.

In Castanies, cameras are recorded by Turkish police officers and members of the military man attacking tear gas, tobacco and real fire at EF11

The rumor in the army wants that night on the embankments next to EF1 to have been placed in a machine gun – <πενηντάρια> In the slang of the military- in the event that the fence collapsed …

In the chestnut forest and the area around EF.1 there are often bursts of arms.

While conflicts in the chestnut raging, the Turkish authorities are attempting a new surprise by directing thousands of immigrants to Feres, in southern Evros, where there is no fence.

In southern Evros, deterrence efforts are more difficult and certainly more violent to be shooting for intimidation by uniforms and citizens for and the immediate re -re -re -resorcitation of those who managed to temporarily click on Greek territory are a common secret among the residents and those who served in the area. It is noteworthy that in the nearly 30 days of the crisis, only 100 immigrants were arrested for illegal entry into the country.

Further south, in the Evros Delta, the local commander of the Army Angelos Houdeloudis mobilizes the Calviers asking them to start patrols with their boats on the river.